No Strings Part 2

He leaned back in his chair and propped his boots on his desk, folding his arms behind his head. "I see Berta's peeked into my e-mail again," he said. "I'm not used to a woman being around.

I'm certainly not used to a daughter."

"How old is she?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Thirty-ish, maybe."

"Maybe? You don't know?"

"I haven't really been a part of her life. Kinda lose touch with dates that way."

She nodded. "So what's with the visit now?"

He shrugged. "She called me up and said she had a ski trip planned to Crested b.u.t.te. Wanted to know if she could drop by, that's all."

"And are we going to finally get to meet her?"

"Yes. In fact, I think she's going to swing by today. Or else next week when she heads back. I didn't talk to her this morning."

He dropped his feet to the floor and scooted closer to his desk.

"After dinner last night, she said she wanted to see the sights."

He laughed. "I told her there wasn't much to see after dark, but I guess she found something. I didn't hear her come in until three this morning."

Morgan looked away quickly, her mind racing. Who the h.e.l.l did I sleep with? "So she's here alone? Didn't bring a boyfriend?"

"No, she's dating some would-be politician but he didn't come. To hear her talk, they're about to get married. But this is a ladies only trip," he said.

Morgan grabbed the bridge of her nose and squeezed. "I see."

Oh, dear Lord, say it isn't so. "So, your daughter, what does she look like?" she asked as casually as possible.

"Mona. Her name is Mona. And she's pretty. Tall and thin.

Dark hair. Wears too much makeup if you ask me, but that's her thing."

Morgan nodded. Mona. Moaning Mona.

I am so dead.

CHAPTER FOUR.

"Lake City?" Reese Daniels glanced around. It looked deserted save for the handful of cars parked along the curb.

Definitely no shops or restaurants, no blinking neon lights, no laughter of tourists. "My G.o.d, is this the town?"

A man cleared his throat behind her and she turned.

"Need some help there, ma'am?"

She nodded. "Sheriff's Office?"

"Down on the corner there," he pointed. "Problem?"

"Definitely," she murmured as she walked away, her boots clicking on the wet sidewalk. Definitely a problem. Lake City wasn't Winter Park. There were no ski slopes, no cute women in colorful jackets and tight pants, and no nightlife. She paused and allowed a small smile. And no mayor's wife. "Ahh, the good old days."

She opened the door, surprised as a bell jingled overhead to signal her arrival. That would be the first thing to go.

"Good afternoon. How may I help you?"

Reese pointed to the bell. "What are we? A convenience store?"

"I beg your pardon?" The older lady stepped from around the desk and regarded her. "Are you Reese Daniels?"

"Yeah. Lose the bell." She walked up to the counter, which was impeccably neat and organized. And why wouldn't it be? She doubted much ever happened here in Hinsdale County. How could it? Most of it consisted of mountain pa.s.ses without any roads. A year in purgatory.

The woman looked at the bell, then back at Reese. "But Ned-Sheriff Carter-liked the bell. That bell's been there for twenty years."

Reese nodded. "I see. And what's your name?"

"Eloise." She smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"Right. So lose the bell, Eloise." She turned. "And my office would be where?"

"Oh. It's in there." She pointed. "But right now-"

"Who's in my office, Eloise?"

"That's Googan. He's kinda been acting-"

"Like the sheriff," Reese finished for her. She walked to the door and knocked on the inside wall. "Hey."

Googan looked up from the newspaper he was reading and frowned. "What are you doing back here? Eloise?" He stood.

"You're not supposed to be back here, ma'am."

"Deputy Googan, I'm Reese Daniels. And I believe it's you who is not supposed to be back here." He had the grace to blush as he shuffled out of the office.

"So you're the temporary sheriff? We thought the snow might hold you up for a day or so."

"I've seen snow before."

"We told them we didn't need a temporary sheriff. We told them we could handle it."

"I'm sure you did." She turned to face him. "Trust me. I want to be here far less than you want me here."

"I've been working for Ned nine years. I know the ropes. I know the people here. I know the country. There's not anything you can do better than me," he said.

Reese smiled. "Apparently your county commissioners thought differently. Something about real experience, training, that sort of thing." She shrugged. "That's different than being a deputy in a tiny little town, Googan."

"I'm just saying, I've put in my time. We'd be fine without you. That's all."

Pompous, arrogant a.s.s. She flung the backpack she carried into the chair. "You ever been shot at? You ever busted up a drug deal? You ever pulled your weapon and taken a life?" Her eyes narrowed. "You ever delivered a G.o.dd.a.m.n baby at two in the morning?"

He slowly shook his head.

"Yeah. That's what I thought." Then she surprised them by laughing. "Not that I expect we'll be doing any of those things here in Hinsdale County." She leaned to look out the window, pulling the miniblinds apart. "So, Googan, how many deputies we got?"

"Two."

She stood and sighed. "Two? That's it?"

"Well, there's not a whole lot of ground to cover in the county, Sheriff."

She shook her head. "Don't call me Sheriff."

Eloise looked from Googan to Reese. "What should we call you then? I mean, what did they call you at your other job?"

"Chief."

Eloise frowned and Reese pulled out the chair with her foot.

"I was Chief of Police. Winter Park. So they called me Chief." She sat down. "Call me what you want, Eloise, I don't care. Although I'd prefer it not be b.i.t.c.h or anything like that."

Eloise grunted and left the office. Googan smiled apologetically. "I didn't mean anything by all that. I mean, it's just, Ned had been here for so long. Me too. We just a.s.sumed-"

"I understand."

"And you know, come election time next year, I'll be running for sheriff."

"It's all yours, Googan. Trust me. As soon as my time is up, I'm gone."

"Why did you take this a.s.signment then?"

"Take it?" She laughed humorlessly. "No, Googan. I didn't take it. Let's just say it was forced on me and leave it at that."

She spun in her chair, turning her back on him. She finally heard him leave. Great, Daniels. Why don't you p.i.s.s off the staff in the first five minutes?

"Okay, I think I will," she murmured. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. A year and a week. That was her sentence.

She was free to leave next November. d.a.m.n the mayor's wife.

0.

CHAPTER FIVE.

"Top of the morning to you, Morgan," Sloan greeted her.

Morgan frowned. "What the h.e.l.l? You Irish today, Sloan?"

He nodded as he filled her coffee cup. "The wife's idea.

Flavored coffee," he said.

She took a sip and grimaced. "Where's my plain old roast, Sloan?"

"Irish cream."

"How many people have you run off with this coffee so far?"He bent closer. "I have to give you one cup of this first, then we'll go to the regular."

She sipped again. "I guess it could grow on you." She glanced to the kitchen. "I feel like a full breakfast this morning."

"Sausage or bacon?"

"Bacon."

"Toast or pancakes?"

"Toast."

"Hash browns or-"

"Hash browns and two eggs, over easy." She rolled her eyes.

After seven years, they still had this conversation.

He topped off her coffee cup again. "You hear about the new sheriff?"

She shook her head. "You mean we won't be subjected to Googan for a year?"

He laughed. "No. But some woman."

Her eyebrows shot up. "A woman?"

"A real h.e.l.lcat, to hear Googan tell it." He leaned closer.